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If you are looking for a new way to change unwanted behaviors or habits, social psychologist Timothy D. Wilson, Ph.D. has an interesting and useful approach to consider. He details his thoughts in a recent interview. Check out an excerpt below or click the link at the bottom to read more.

Revising your story

Social psychologist Timothy D. Wilson argues that behavior change may be easier than we think.

By Kirsten WeirMarch 2012, Vol 43, No. 3

University of Virginia psychologist Timothy D. Wilson, PhD, is fascinated by the stories people tell themselves to make sense of the world. Those personal narratives, he says, can make the difference between living a healthy, productive life—or not.But the question is: How can we alter those narratives to enact positive, lasting change?

Wilson—co-author of the bestselling textbook Social Psychology, now in its seventh edition—has some answers. In his 2011 book “Redirect: The Surprising New Science of Psychological Change,” Wilson takes aim at a number of conventional behavior-change programs, from abstinence-only sex education to Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, which aims to prevent post-traumatic stress disorder after distressing events. Too often, such programs are implemented before theyve been adequately tested, he says, and many dont work as intended.

In their place, he offers a surprisingly simple approach for behavior change. Wilson calls this process “story editing,” and he recently spoke with the Monitor about how it can change lives for the better.